Proven Techniques to Save on Meridianville Car Insurance

Tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than millions of other consumers.

There are many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to be able to choose, it makes it harder to compare rates.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower car insurance prices.

  • Always keep insurance in force - Not having insurance is illegal and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage will get you a revoked license or a big fine.You may need to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Alabama department of motor vehicles.
  • Your stress level may be raising your rates - Careers like doctors, business owners and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates due to high stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, occupations like farmers, engineers and retirees have the lowest average rates.
  • Add-on coverages can add up - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your policy. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you don't need them eliminate them to save money.
  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Young drivers in Alabama have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
  • High performance equals high price - The make and model of the car you are buying insurance for makes a big difference in determining your rates. The lowest base rates are usually for small economy passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
  • How's your driving record? - A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers get better rates than their less careful counterparts. Even one speeding ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. If you have dangerous violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Pay less after the wedding - Being married helps lower the price on your policy. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Bump up deductibles to save - Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. The more money you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

Cheap Meridianville Car Insurance Comparisons

Performing a rate comparison can be a daunting task if you don't understand the most efficient way to do it. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance agencies in Meridianville, or you could use the internet to quickly compare rates.

Most of the larger companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to complete one form, and at least one company returns a competitive quote based on the submitted data. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for.

To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

The only downside to using this type of system is you are unable to specify which providers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to compare, we have assembled a list of companies who write car insurance in Alabama. Click here to view list.

It's your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you're using identical coverage limits on every quote. If you enter differing limits then you won't be able to make a fair comparison in Meridianville. Quoting even small variations in limits can make a big difference in price. And when price shopping your coverage, quoting more helps locate better pricing.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise every discount very clearly, so here is a list some of the more common and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using.

  • Seat Belts Save - Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Accident Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Safety Course Discount - Completing a driver safety course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • New Car Discount - Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
  • Discount for Swiching Early - Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.

It's important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, you're out of luck.

To choose insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Alabama, click here to view.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Car insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you can save if you change to them. How does each company make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer could be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Consumers who don't meet these standards will be quoted higher rates and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's why insurance companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why you need to get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Additional detailed information is available at the Alabama Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, discover disciplinary actions, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Final considerations

Lower-priced car insurance is attainable from both online companies and with local Meridianville insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

We just showed you many tips how you can compare car insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the best price on car insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like .